Something on your mind? Have some knowledge or skill that you think would be useful to Sharpologist readers? Consider writing for us! But before you submit your post for review, take a look at these guidelines.
Make it Useful
Our focus is on providing useful, practical, helpful, actionable information. It helps if you know what you’re talking about! Educate, teach and show people how to improve their shaving and grooming. But we are also interested in “human interest” stories as they relate to shaving (being taught to shave by your father, teaching your son to shave, first shave at a barber, etc.).
We discourage articles that are designed as a form of advertising via backlinks (though promoting your own blog is usually fine). We will consider paid/sponsored posts on a case-by-case basis. See our advertising/media kit for more information.
Bear in mind that most of Sharpologist’s readers are men who are beginner to intermediate-level wet shavers eager for authoritative information on men’s shaving and grooming. They are looking for more than just the basics!
Sharpologist readers are more interested in “classic,” “old school,” or “nostalgic” material over “modern,” “edgy,” for “futuristic” material.
Remember, most Sharpologist readers are men, primarily in the US.
To break it down even further, we shoot for a content mix of:
Shave Technique examples (about 30% of the total content mix)
- Neck
- Chin
- Nose/lip
- Jaw
- How to make a better lather
- How to get that “smooth as glass” result
- How to shave for the first time
- How to shave pubic hair
Shave Review Examples (about 30% of the total content mix)
- Razors
- Brushes
- Soaps & creams
- Accessories
Face Care Examples (about 10% of the total content mix)
- Prep
- Ingrown Hairs
- Razor burn treatments
- SPF
Hair Care Examples (about 10% of the total content mix)
- Pomades
- Hair lotions/tonics
- Shampoos/conditioners
Cologne Examples (about 10% of the total content mix)
- Fragrance tutorials
- Cologne/Edt reviews
Misc. Examples (about 10% of the total content mix)
- Your first shave at a barber.
- Teaching your son to shave.
- How your father (mother?) taught you how to shave.
- Other “nostalgic” topics.
- “Diversion” – we occasionally accept a “guy stuff” topic not directly related to shaving/grooming (fashion, watches, drinks, etc.).
Make It Unique
Be creative, innovate, original. Offer something that is different, fresh, or that presents a new angle on something that’s been said a million times before. Readers want content that has not been extensively covered on other blogs: bring them something new. Do not be afraid to bring your personality into the post!
Make It Relevant
Take time to read some recent posts and browse the archives to get a good feel for the type of post that gets positive response. You choose the topic – but make sure it works with the theme.
Make It Well-Written
Posts need to demonstrate good command of language, grammar, punctuation, clarity, style and tone. Run your content through a spell check and try to catch all the typos. Edit your post well, and rewrite it a few times. It’s a good idea to set your post aside for a day or two and come back to it with fresh eyes. Focus on high-quality content that offers a lot of value for readers. We prefer posts of at least 1000 words (but will consider shorter articles).
Make sure you have a strong introduction that hooks readers and draws them in. Use good structure and formatting. Sub-headers and bullet points or strong impact statements can help! Your post may be edited prior to posting for quality or clarity: please don’t be offended if minor changes are made that improve your post even more. Sharpologist editors tend to limit themselves to tweaking headlines, inserting “more” breaks, adding sub-headings, selecting images, correcting typographic or grammatical errors, setting posting dates, and checking for legal concerns (copyrights, trademarks, questions of libel, etc.). We very much want to keep the “voice” (writing style) of the writer intact!
Have a well-rounded wrap-up: the conclusion is one of the most neglected areas post writing. End your post well and summarize in a way that encourages conversation and commentary.
Other Things You Need To Know To Write For Us
- Include a small paragraph crediting yourself as author. Make it fun and interesting, and feel free to include a link to your site. If you register with Sharpologist you will have a profile page where you can list information, and if you have an avatar on file with Gravatar it will automatically populate your post. [Note: registrations are currently disabled due to spam registrations but we can easily add you if you ask.]
- We like internal linking, so please include a link or two to a relevant post on our blog if you can. You may also link out to other relevant posts on the ‘net if you’d like – but don’t go overboard.
- Affiliate links are not permitted without prior discussion.
- Photos – it’s great if you have your own but if not we can find some. They should be good quality (minimum resolution 800 px by 600 px) and free from copyright. Please don’t just grab from the web without checking usage rights.
- Please credit all sources, assets and use common sense.
- Your post should be original work that has not been offered or published elsewhere (except your own blog if you have one).
- All submissions are considered “on spec”–meaning we are under no obligation to accept or publish–unless agreed otherwise by prior discussion.
- If your article is accepted you grant us a license to be the exclusive publisher. However exclusivity is not “written in stone”–we’re open to alternatives. You may republish extracts – for example, on your own site – but the article in its entirety should not appear elsewhere for at least business five days after publication, after which time it may be reprinted in part or full on other sites with a link back to the original article on Sharpologist.
- We maintain a email newsletter for those who have or who are interested in writing for us. Don’t worry, we won’t spam you–we’ll send out information about articles we’re looking for every once in a while. The signup form is HERE.
If you’d like to write and submit a guest post we may not be able to pay you right away, but we hope you will accept the thanks of our grateful readers for your contribution! By the way, guest posting can be a fantastic strategy for your own blog: it can bring you traffic and readers.
We Are Particularly Looking For Regular Contributors
We sometimes have openings for regular columnists who can commit to a monthly or bi-monthly schedule. If you have a unique or authoritative perspective, we encourage you to submit a sample article so we may evaluate whether you’d be a good fit for such a position when it opens up.
What To Do Now
Submit your guest post for review by first “pitching” an idea: use the contact form.
We are excited to see what you have to say!
